Leh violence: Ladakh bodies oppose magisterial inquiry, call for impartial judicial probe

Ladakh protests

Members of the Kargil Democratic Alliance and the Ladakh Buddhist Association (LBA) have rejected the magisterial inquiry ordered into the law and order situation in Leh that led to the deaths of four people on September 24, following violent protests and police firing.

“We outrightly reject this magisterial probe. We have sought a probe that is free from any pressures or influence of the UT administration,” Sajjad Kargili, a member of the Kargil Democratic Alliance and of the Ministry of Home Affairs constituted High-Powered Committee (HPC), was quoted by The Indian Express as saying. He argued that a magisterial officer may not be the appropriate authority to determine who fired and when during the unrest.

Similarly, Cherring Dorjay Lakrook, president of the Ladakh Buddhist Association and an HPC member, voiced opposition to the magisterial inquiry.

At a meeting held in Leh, the LBA reiterated its demand for an impartial judicial probe led by a retired judge into the “excessive use of force and indiscriminate firing by the Ladakh Police and paramilitary forces” on September 24, 2025.

The LBA has also urged the UT administration to provide adequate compensation to the families of the deceased as well as those critically injured. In addition, they have called for the release of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk and other youth “arbitrarily detained” in the aftermath of the unrest.

The violence on September 24 resulted in the deaths of four individuals, Jigmet Dorjay, Rinchen Dadul, Stanzin Namgial, and Tsewang Tharchin, and left several others injured. Protesters set fire to a BJP office, while police fired teargas shells to disperse the crowd. A curfew was imposed in Leh following the unrest to restore order.

In response to the incident, the Ladakh administration ordered a magisterial inquiry through SDM Nubra Mukul Beniwal. The order sought information from the public regarding the “serious law and order situation created on September 24 in Leh and the resulting police action leading to the death of four individuals.” Members of the public were invited to submit oral or written testimonies or material evidence within four weeks.

Despite this, both the Apex Body Leh and the Kargil Democratic Alliance withdrew from the next scheduled round of talks with the Ministry of Home Affairs as part of the HPC, originally set for October 6, insisting that only a judicial probe would be acceptable.

Meanwhile, Gitanjali Angmo, wife of Sonam Wangchuk, has written to the President of India seeking his “unconditional release.” She highlighted the ongoing harassment by state agencies and surveillance of their family, describing it as a violation of constitutional rights, including Articles 21 and 22, which guarantee citizens legal representation and protection under the law.